Locomotive stoker



1935. J. w. MYERS LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Sept. 8, 1931 gwventoz Patented Dec. 31 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Application September 8, 1931, Serial No. 561,713

15 Claims.

This invention relates to locomotives and particularly to improvements in the firebox thereof, its primary object being to provide means to be employed in conjunction with automatic stokers.

The invention consists in a locomotive firebox, the inner wall of which is offset inwardly to form a table at the lower margin of the firing opening and adapted to receive fuel from the stoker for distribution in the firebox.

The distributing tables commonly used with mechanical stokers consist of renewable parts and as these parts are exposed to the intense heat of the firebox, their frequent renewal is necessary.

It is the object of this inventoin to arrange an offset portion extending inwardly from the inside sheet of the back wall of the firebox, the inside of which is in communication with the boiler pressure, and giving the same heat resistance as the inner side sheets of the firebox. The life of the inwardly offset portion is preserved by the water between the firebox sheets, thus resulting in the elimination of the particular stoker item; viz., the distributing table, as a renewable part.

Preferred forms of the invention are disclosed inthe accompanying drawing, in which:---

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a part section of the backhead of a firebox and a section of the offset portion extending inwardly from the lower margin of the firing opening; also I showing the stoker conduit and blast chamber in place as associated with the opening and offset portion.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view ofthe structureshown in Figure l. p

Figure 3 is a plan View of the structure shown in Figure 2, with the stoker mechanism removed and showing in section the backhead of the firebox.

Figure 4 isa side elevational viewsimilar to Fig. 1, except there is shown a removable plate interposed between the stoker blast chamberand opening I, formed in the backhead of a boiler firebox. In. the construction, the backhead consists "of-a back sheet 8, inner sheet 9, andstaybolts I3.

The space between the back and inner sheets will be referred to by numeral I I.

Projecting into the'firebox from a point tangent to the inwardly curved portion I2, of the back sheet 8, which forms the lower margin of the firing opening 7, is a wall or plate-like portion I3. The wall I3 may extend into the firebox any desired distance as the dimensions of the firebox may, in some cases require different length walls for'distribution of the fuel.

Numeral M designates a substantially vertical wall which unites with the forward end of wall i3. Extendingrearwardly and downwardly from the bottom of wall 14 is a wall I5, which unites with the inner wall 90f the backhead as at IG. The substantially horizonal wall I3 unites with the back sheet 8, as at i l. Numeral I8 designates the substantially vertical side walls which are united to the sides of walls I3, I4 and I5, and extend rearwardly, curvingoutwardly as they approach the inner wall 9, to which they are united as shown by numeral I9.

In order to support the several walls forming the offset portion when they are subjected to the boiler pressure, staybolts 23 are provided. These staybolts are applied in the same manner as the staybolts which support thesheets of the backhead. The staybolts may be applied in any suitable manner to give proper support to the offset portion. Y

The lateral dimension of the offset portion may be greater or less than that of the-firing opening I, but in the construction is shown to be less.

Disposed between the conduitfi and the top wall. I3, of the offset portion is a blast cham 3: her 2|. The blast chamber is so positioned that as the fuel falls by gravity from the conduit over the blast chamber onto the wall I3, it islscattered to all parts of the firebox-by a fluid pressure such as steam, which is supplied through pipes 22, which enter the blast chamber as at 23. The

blast chamber is provided with chambers '24, which receive the fluid pressure delivered by pipes 22Vand orifices 25, which eject the fluid over the top wall I3.

It may be the opinion of somepersons that the steam from the blast chamber passing over the .top wall I3 of. the offset portion will, in time, damage the upper surface of the wall. ,This is notlikely to be the case, but in Figures, the 50 blast chamber 2 I, is shown somewhat raised and a plate 23 shown disposed between the blast chamber and the top wall I3. The plate 26 is'ses cured tothe wall I3 by pins 21, which are screwed into the top wall as at 28. The plate26 is pro- 5 vided with holes such as 29, which fit aroun pins 21.

Since the offset portion is indestructible, as the firebox sheets, it will be observed that the plate 25 will last indefinitely as it is protected from the intense heat by the offset portion.

The top wall i3 is provided with diverging grooves as at 30, in order that some of the fuel be distributed to the back corners of the firebox. The plate 26 is also provided with similar grooves 30 for the same purpose.

If it is desired to wash the sediment or mud accumulation out of the inside of the offset portion, it may be done by removing the plugs 3|, positioned in the back sheet 8 for this purpose.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be readily recognized that this invention results in great economy and provides a non-failing part to be associated with a stoker, which is not the case with distributing parts unprotected from the intense heat of the fire.

I claim:

1. In a locomotive, a boiler firebox provided with a hollow backhead comprising inner and outer sheets a conventional stoker and hand firing opening therethrough, said backhead having a hollow offset portion extending inwardly of said firebox and forming a part of the lower wall of said firing opening, said offset portion extending inwardly beyond that portion of the inner sheet of said bacldiead defining the inner edge of the top and sides of said firing opening and having a substantially horizontal flat top surface.

2. In a locomotive, the combination of a boiler firebox provided with a hollow backhead comprising inner and outer sheets, a conventional stoker and hand firing opening therethrough, said backhead having a hollow offset portion extending inwardly of said firebox and forming a part of the lower wall of said firing opening, said offset portion extending inwardly beyond that portion of the inner sheet of said backhead defining the inner edge of the top and sides of said firing opening and having a substantially horizontal flat top surface, a fuel conduit for delivering fuel to said firing opening onto the flat top surface of said oifset portion of the backhead and a pressure fluid blast chamber for impelling fuel through said opening, said chamber being mounted at the rear of and above the top surface of said hollow offset portion and subjacent the delivery end of said conduit.

3. In a locomotive, a boiler firebox provided with a hollow backhead comprising inner and outer sheets having a conventional hand firing opening therethrough, said outer sheet having an inwardly curved portion adjacent the lower margin of said firing opening and that p ortion of said inner sheet immediately subjacent said firing opening being recessed, a hollow offset member extending inwardly of said firebox from said backhead and forming a part of the lower wall of said firing opening, said offset member extending inwardly beyond that portion of the inner sheet of said backhead defining the inner edge of the top and sides of said firing opening and having a substantially horizontal fiat top surface tangent to and secured to said curved portion of said outer sheet and a bottom and side Walls registering with and secured to the marginal edges of said inner sheet defining said recess, said offset member forming a closure for the opening between the inner and outer sheets of said backhead subjacent the firing opening.

4. In a locomotive, the combination of a boiler firebox provided with a hollow backhead comprising inner and outer sheets, a conventional stoker and hand firing opening therethrough, a hollow offset portion extending inwardly from said backhead and forming a part of the lower wall of said firing opening, said offset portion extending inwardly beyond that portion of the inner sheet of said backhead defining the inner edge of the top and sides of said firing opening and having a 10 substantially horizontal flat top surface, means for delivering fuel to said flat top surface, a pressure fluid blast chamber for impelling fuel across said fiat top surface, and outwardly curving channels formed in said top surface extending to the side edges of said offset portion.

5. In a locomotive, the combination of a boiler firebox provided with a hollow backhead comprising inner and outer sheets, a conventional stokcr and hand firing opening therethrough, a hollow offset portion extending inwardly from said backhead and forming a part of the lower wall of said firing opening, said offset portion extending beyond that portion of the inner sheet of said backhead defining the inner edge of the top and sides of said firing opening, said hollow offset portion comprising a substantially horizontal flat top surface extending inwardly from said outer sheet and a bottom wall extending inwardly from said inner sheet, a fuel conduit for delivering fuel to said firing opening and a pressure fluid blast chamber for impelling fuel across said flat top surface, said chamber being mounted at the rear of and above the top surface of said hollow offset portion and subjacent the delivery end of said conduit, said fiat top surface having outwardly curving channels formed therein for deflecting a portion of the impelled fuel to the rear corners of the firebox.

6. A boiler for use with a mechanical stoker, 140 comprising a back head and a door sheet forming between them a water leg and provided with a fire door opening, and a hollow extension on said door sheet projecting forwardly substantially at the bottom of said fire door opening to form a shelf extending a material distance into the fire box, the interior of said extension being in communication with said water leg.

7. A boiler for use with a mechanical stoker, comprising a back head and a door sheet forming between them a water leg and provided with a fire door opening, said door sheet being formed to provide, adjacent the bottom of said fire door opening, an overhanging shelf of a width approximating that of said fire door opening and a length projecting a material distance forwardly into the fire box.

8. A boiler for use with a mechanical stoker, comprising a back head and a door sheet forming between them a water leg and provided with a, fire door opening, said door sheet being formed to provide, adjacent the bottom of said fire door opening, an overhanging shelf having a substantially fiat top extending forwardly a material distance into the fire box.

9. A boiler for use with a mechanical stoker, comprising a back head and a door sheet forming between them a water leg and provided with a fire door opening, said door sheet being'formed to have a substantially flat portion extending for- 7 wardly a material distance into the fire box near the bottom of said fire door opening, said door sheet thence extending downwardly and obliquely rearwardly at an angle diverging from said fiat portion thereof. and thence downwardly at a 76 sharper angle substantially parallel to said back head.

10. A boiler comprising a back head and a door sheet forming between them a water leg and provided with a fire door opening, and stoker distributor plate means including an extension formed on said door sheet providing a hollow overhanging shelf projecting a material distance forwardly into the fire box near the bottom of said fire door opening, the interior of said hollow shelf forming a part of said water leg and being in free communication with the rest of said water leg.

11. A boiler comprising a back head and a door sheet forming between them a water leg and provided with a fire door opening, and an extension formed on said door sheet providing a hollow overhanging shelf projecting a material distance forwardly into the fire box near the bottom of said fire door opening, the interior of said hollow shelf forming a part of said water leg and being in free communication with the rest of said water leg, and the top surface of said hollow shelf forming a distributor plate for a mechanical stoker.

12. A boiler comprising a back head and a door sheet forming between them a water leg and provided with a fire door opening, an extension formed on said door sheet providing a hollow overhanging shelf projecting a material distance forwardly into the fire box near the bottom of said fire door opening, the interior of said hollow shelf forming a part of said water leg and being in free communication with the rest of said water leg, and a stoker distributor plate overlying said shelf and protected thereby from heat rising from below it.

13. A boiler fire box comprising two sheets forming between them a water leg having an 5 opening therethrough, and a hollow extension on one of said sheets substantially at the bottom of said opening to form a shelf projecting a material distance into the fire box, the interior of said extension being in communication with said water leg.

14. A boiler fire box comprising two sheets forming between them a water leg having an opening therethrough, and a hollow extension on one of said sheets providing a hollow overhanging shelf projecting a material distance into the fire box near the bottom of said opening, the interior of said hollow shelf forming a part of said water leg and being in free communication with the rest of said water leg, and the top surface of said hollow shelf forming a distributor plate for a mechanical stoker.

15. A boiler fire box comprising two sheets forming between them a water leg having an opening therethrough, a hollow extension on one of said sheets providing a hollow overhanging shelf projecting a material distance into the fire box near the bottom of said opening, the interior of said hollow shelf forming a part of said water leg and being in free communication with the rest of said water leg, and a stoker distributor plate overlying said shelf and protected thereby from heat rising from below it.

JOHN W. MYERS. 

